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Ceballos-Rasgado M, Lowe NM, Mallard S, Clegg A, Moran VH, Harris C, Montez J, Xipsiti M. Adverse Effects of Excessive Zinc Intake in Infants and Children Aged 0-3 Years: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Adv Nutr 2022; 13:2488-2518. [PMID: 36055780 PMCID: PMC9776731 DOI: 10.1093/advances/nmac088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Zinc supplementation reduces morbidity, but evidence suggests that excessive intakes can have negative health consequences. Current guidelines of upper limits (ULs) of zinc intake for young children are extrapolated from adult data. This systematic review (PROSPERO; registration no. CRD42020215187) aimed to determine the levels of zinc intake at which adverse effects are observed in young children. Studies reporting potential adverse effects of zinc intake in children aged 0-3 y were identified (from inception to August 2020) in MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library, with no limits on study design. Adverse clinical and physical effects of zinc intake were synthesized narratively, and meta-analyses of biochemical outcomes were conducted. Random effects models were used to generate forest plots to examine the evidence by age category, dose, dose duration, chemical formula of zinc, and zinc compared with placebo. The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist, Cochrane Risk of Bias 2, and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) guideline were employed to assess risk of bias and to appraise the certainty of evidence. Fifty-eight studies assessed possible adverse effects of zinc doses ranging from 3 to 70 mg/d. Data from 39 studies contributed to meta-analyses. Zinc supplementation had an adverse effect on serum ferritin, plasma/serum copper concentration, serum transferrin receptor, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and the odds of anemia in ≥1 of the subgroups investigated. Lactulose:mannitol ratio was improved with zinc supplementation, and no significant effect was observed on C-reactive protein, erythrocyte superoxide dismutase, zinc protoporphyrin, blood cholesterol, and iron deficiency anemia. The certainty of the evidence, as assessed using GRADE, was very low to moderate. Although possible adverse effects of zinc supplementation were observed in some subgroups, it is unclear whether these findings are clinically important. The synthesized data can be used to undertake a dose-response analysis to update current guidelines of ULs of zinc intake for young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marena Ceballos-Rasgado
- Centre for Global Development, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Andrew Clegg
- Synthesis, Economic Evaluation and Decision Science (SEEDS) Group, Applied Health Research Hub, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria H Moran
- Centre for Global Development, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom
| | - Catherine Harris
- Synthesis, Economic Evaluation and Decision Science (SEEDS) Group, Applied Health Research Hub, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom
| | - Jason Montez
- Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maria Xipsiti
- Food and Nutrition Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy
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Liu Z, Fan YM, Ashorn P, Chingwanda C, Maleta K, Hallamaa L, Hyöty H, Chaima D, Ashorn U. Lack of Associations between Environmental Exposures and Environmental Enteric Dysfunction among 18-Month-Old Children in Rural Malawi. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:10891. [PMID: 36078607 PMCID: PMC9517768 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191710891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) is common and contributes to linear growth faltering (stunting) and mortality among children in low-resource settings. A few studies on the environmental causes of EED have been conducted but the exact exposures that cause or predispose children to EED are context-specific and not clear. This study aimed to assess associations between selected environmental exposures and EED markers among 620 18-month-old children. This was a secondary analysis of data from Malawian children who participated in a randomized controlled trial (iLiNS-DYAD, registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01239693) from birth to 18 months of age. Data on environmental exposures, including drinking water source, sanitation, exposure to animals, housing materials, season, residential area, and food insecurity were collected at enrolment. Biomarkers of EED included concentrations of calprotectin, regenerating 1B protein (REG1B), and alpha-1-antitrypsin from stool samples to assess intestinal inflammation, repair, and permeability, respectively. We performed bivariate and multivariable analyses to assess associations between environmental exposures and EED biomarkers. Adjusting for possible confounders, we did not find associations between the selected environmental exposures and the three biomarkers. These results do not provide support for our hypothesis that the studied adverse environmental exposures are associated with increased concentrations of children's EED markers in rural Malawi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhifei Liu
- Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33014 Tampere, Finland
| | - Yue-Mei Fan
- Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33014 Tampere, Finland
| | - Per Ashorn
- Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33014 Tampere, Finland
- Department of Paediatrics, Tampere University Hospital, 33521 Tampere, Finland
| | - Chilungamo Chingwanda
- School of Public Health & Family Medicine, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Private Bag 360, Chichiri, Blantyre 3, Malawi
| | - Kenneth Maleta
- School of Public Health & Family Medicine, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Private Bag 360, Chichiri, Blantyre 3, Malawi
| | - Lotta Hallamaa
- Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33014 Tampere, Finland
| | - Heikki Hyöty
- Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33014 Tampere, Finland
- Fimlab Laboratories, Pirkanmaa Hospital District, 33521 Tampere, Finland
| | - David Chaima
- School of Public Health & Family Medicine, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Private Bag 360, Chichiri, Blantyre 3, Malawi
| | - Ulla Ashorn
- Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33014 Tampere, Finland
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Micronutrient Improvement of Epithelial Barrier Function in Various Disease States: A Case for Adjuvant Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23062995. [PMID: 35328419 PMCID: PMC8951934 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23062995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The published literature makes a very strong case that a wide range of disease morbidity associates with and may in part be due to epithelial barrier leak. An equally large body of published literature substantiates that a diverse group of micronutrients can reduce barrier leak across a wide array of epithelial tissue types, stemming from both cell culture as well as animal and human tissue models. Conversely, micronutrient deficiencies can exacerbate both barrier leak and morbidity. Focusing on zinc, Vitamin A and Vitamin D, this review shows that at concentrations above RDA levels but well below toxicity limits, these micronutrients can induce cell- and tissue-specific molecular-level changes in tight junctional complexes (and by other mechanisms) that reduce barrier leak. An opportunity now exists in critical care—but also medical prophylactic and therapeutic care in general—to consider implementation of select micronutrients at elevated dosages as adjuvant therapeutics in a variety of disease management. This consideration is particularly pointed amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Lin A, Ali S, Arnold BF, Rahman MZ, Alauddin M, Grembi J, Mertens AN, Famida SL, Akther S, Hossen MS, Mutsuddi P, Shoab AK, Hussain Z, Rahman M, Unicomb L, Ashraf S, Naser AM, Parvez SM, Ercumen A, Benjamin-Chung J, Haque R, Ahmed T, Hossain MI, Choudhury N, Jannat K, Alauddin ST, Minchala SG, Cekovic R, Hubbard AE, Stewart CP, Dewey KG, Colford JM, Luby SP. Effects of Water, Sanitation, Handwashing, and Nutritional Interventions on Environmental Enteric Dysfunction in Young Children: A Cluster-randomized, Controlled Trial in Rural Bangladesh. Clin Infect Dis 2021; 70:738-747. [PMID: 30963177 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciz291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We hypothesized that drinking water, sanitation, handwashing (WSH), and nutritional interventions would improve environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), a potential contributor to stunting. METHODS Within a subsample of a cluster-randomized, controlled trial in rural Bangladesh, we enrolled pregnant women in 4 arms: control, WSH, child nutrition counseling plus lipid-based nutrient supplements (N), and nutrition plus WSH (N+WSH). Among the birth cohort, we measured biomarkers of gut inflammation (myeloperoxidase, neopterin), permeability (alpha-1-antitrypsin, lactulose, mannitol), and repair (regenerating gene 1β) at median ages 3, 14, and 28 months. Analysis was intention-to-treat. RESULTS We assessed 1512 children. At age 3 months, compared to controls, neopterin was reduced by nutrition (-0.21 log nmol/L; 95% confidence interval [CI], -.37, -.05) and N+WSH (-0.20 log nmol/L; 95% CI, -.34, -.06) interventions; similar reductions were observed at 14 months. At 3 months, all interventions reduced lactulose and mannitol (-0.60 to -0.69 log mmol/L). At 28 months, myeloperoxidase was elevated in the WSH and nutrition arms (0.23-0.27 log ng/mL) and lactulose was higher in the WSH arm (0.30 log mmol/L; 95% CI, .07, .53). CONCLUSIONS Reductions in permeability and inflammation at ages 3 and 14 months suggest that the interventions promoted healthy intestinal maturation; however, by 28 months, the WSH and nutrition arms showed elevated EED biomarkers. These results underscore the importance of developing a better understanding of EED pathophysiology and targeting interventions early in childhood, when they are likely to have the largest benefit to intestinal health. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NCT01590095.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrie Lin
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California-Berkeley
| | - Shahjahan Ali
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Benjamin F Arnold
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California-Berkeley
| | - Md Ziaur Rahman
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Jessica Grembi
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University, California
| | - Andrew N Mertens
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California-Berkeley
| | - Syeda L Famida
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Salma Akther
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md Saheen Hossen
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Palash Mutsuddi
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Abul K Shoab
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Zahir Hussain
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mahbubur Rahman
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Leanne Unicomb
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Sania Ashraf
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Abu Mohd Naser
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Sarker M Parvez
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Ayse Ercumen
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California-Berkeley
| | - Jade Benjamin-Chung
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California-Berkeley
| | - Rashidul Haque
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Tahmeed Ahmed
- Nutrition and Clinical Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md Iqbal Hossain
- Nutrition and Clinical Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Nuzhat Choudhury
- Nutrition and Clinical Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Kaniz Jannat
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Sarah T Alauddin
- Department of Chemistry, Wagner College, Staten Island, New York
| | | | - Rabije Cekovic
- Department of Chemistry, Wagner College, Staten Island, New York
| | - Alan E Hubbard
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California-Berkeley
| | | | | | - John M Colford
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California-Berkeley
| | - Stephen P Luby
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University, California
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5
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Hinnouho GM, Wessells KR, Barffour MA, Sayasone S, Arnold CD, Kounnavong S, Hess SY. Impact of Different Strategies for Delivering Supplemental Zinc on Selected Fecal Markers of Environmental Enteric Dysfunction among Young Laotian Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020; 103:1416-1426. [PMID: 32618258 PMCID: PMC7543857 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to assess the impact of different strategies for delivering supplemental zinc on fecal myeloperoxidase (MPO), neopterin (NEO), and calprotectin (CAL) among young Laotian children. In a double-blind controlled trial, children aged 6-23 months were randomized to receive either daily preventive zinc (PZ) tablets (7 mg/day), daily micronutrient powder (MNP; containing 10 mg zinc and 14 other micronutrients), therapeutic zinc (TZ) supplements for diarrhea treatment (20 mg/day for 10 days), or daily placebo powder and followed for ∼36 weeks. Stool samples were collected at baseline and endline. Fecal MPO, NEO, and CAL concentrations were determined in a randomly selected subsample of 720 children using commercially available ELISA kits. At baseline, the mean age was 14.1 ± 4.9 months and prevalence of stunting was 39%. The endline prevalence of stunting was 43%; there was no overall treatment effect on physical growth in the parent trial. At endline, the mean (95% CI) MPO in the PZ group was 1,590 [1,396; 1,811] ng/mL and did not differ from that in the MNP (1,633 [1,434; 1,859] ng/mL), TZ (1,749 [1,535; 1,992] ng/mL), and control (1,612 [1,415; 1,836] ng/mL) groups (P = 0.749). Similarly, there was no overall treatment effect on NEO and CAL concentrations (P = 0.226 and 0.229, respectively). In this population, the provision of PZ or TZ supplements or MNP had no impact on growth or environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) as assessed by fecal MPO, NEO, and CAL. Additional research is needed to better understand the etiology and proposed mechanisms of EED pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy-Marino Hinnouho
- Helen Keller International, Washington, District of Columbia.,Department of Nutrition, Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - K Ryan Wessells
- Department of Nutrition, Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Maxwell A Barffour
- Public Health Program, College of Health and Human Services, Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri.,Department of Nutrition, Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Somphou Sayasone
- Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - Charles D Arnold
- Department of Nutrition, Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Sengchanh Kounnavong
- Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - Sonja Y Hess
- Department of Nutrition, Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
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6
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Wessells KR, Hinnouho GM, Barffour MA, Arnold CD, Kounnavong S, Kewcharoenwong C, Lertmemongkolchai G, Schuster GU, Stephensen CB, Hess SY. Impact of Daily Preventive Zinc or Therapeutic Zinc Supplementation for Diarrhea on Plasma Biomarkers of Environmental Enteric Dysfunction among Rural Laotian Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020; 102:415-426. [PMID: 31889508 PMCID: PMC7008314 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) may be ameliorated by zinc supplementation. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of different forms of zinc supplementation on biomarkers of EED (i.e., plasma citrulline, kynurenine, and tryptophan concentrations and the kynurenine:tryptophan [KT] ratio) among young Laotian children. In a double-blind randomized controlled trial, 3,407 children aged 6-23 months were randomized into one of four groups: daily preventive zinc dispersible tablets (PZ; 7 mg zinc), daily multiple micronutrient powders (MNP; 10 mg zinc, 6 mg iron, and 13 other micronutrients), therapeutic zinc supplements for diarrhea treatment (TZ; 20 mg/day for 10 days), or daily placebo powder, and followed up for ∼36 weeks. Plasma samples at baseline and endline for 359 children were analyzed for citrulline, kynurenine, and tryptophan concentrations. At baseline, the prevalence of stunting and zinc deficiency was 37% and 76.5%, respectively. The mean plasma citrulline, kynurenine, and tryptophan concentrations were 24.6 ± 5.4 µmol/L, 3.27 ± 0.83 µmol/L, and 72.3 ± 12.9 µmol/L, respectively; the mean KT ratio (×1,000) was 45.9 ± 12.0. At endline, neither plasma citrulline, kynurenine, or tryptophan concentrations, nor the KT ratio differed among intervention groups (P > 0.05). In this population, PZ, MNP, and TZ had no overall effect on plasma concentrations of citrulline, kynurenine, and tryptophan, or the KT ratio. The need remains to better understand the etiology of EED, and the development of biomarkers to diagnose EED and evaluate the impact of interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. Ryan Wessells
- Department of Nutrition, Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Guy-Marino Hinnouho
- Department of Nutrition, Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Maxwell A. Barffour
- Department of Nutrition, Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
- Public Health Program, College of Health and Human Services, Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri
| | - Charles D. Arnold
- Department of Nutrition, Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Sengchanh Kounnavong
- Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute, Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic
| | - Chidchamai Kewcharoenwong
- Mekong Health Science Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
- Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, The Centre for Research and Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Ganjana Lertmemongkolchai
- Mekong Health Science Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
- Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, The Centre for Research and Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Gertrud U. Schuster
- Department of Nutrition, Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
- Agricultural Research Service, Western Human Nutrition Research Center, US Department of Agriculture, Davis, California
| | - Charles B. Stephensen
- Department of Nutrition, Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
- Agricultural Research Service, Western Human Nutrition Research Center, US Department of Agriculture, Davis, California
| | - Sonja Y. Hess
- Department of Nutrition, Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
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7
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Gough EK, Moulton LH, Mutasa K, Ntozini R, Stoltzfus RJ, Majo FD, Smith LE, Panic G, Giallourou N, Jamell M, Kosek P, Swann JR, Humphrey JH, Prendergast AJ. Effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene and improved complementary feeding on environmental enteric dysfunction in children in rural Zimbabwe: A cluster-randomized controlled trial. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0007963. [PMID: 32059011 PMCID: PMC7046282 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) may be an important modifiable cause of child stunting. We described the evolution of EED biomarkers from birth to 18 months in rural Zimbabwe and tested the independent and combined effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), and improved infant and young child feeding (IYCF), on EED. METHODOLOGY AND FINDINGS The Sanitation Hygiene Infant Nutrition Efficacy (SHINE) trial was a 2x2 factorial cluster-randomised trial of improved IYCF and improved WASH on child stunting and anaemia at 18 months of age. 1169 infants born to HIV-negative mothers provided plasma and faecal specimens at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 18 months of age. We measured EED biomarkers that reflect all domains of the hypothesized pathological pathway. Markers of intestinal permeability and intestinal inflammation declined over time, while markers of microbial translocation and systemic inflammation increased between 1-18 months. Markers of intestinal damage (I-FABP) and repair (REG-1β) mirrored each other, and citrulline (a marker of intestinal epithelial mass) increased from 6 months of age, suggesting dynamic epithelial turnover and regeneration in response to enteric insults. We observed few effects of IYCF and WASH on EED after adjustment for multiple comparisons. The WASH intervention decreased plasma IGF-1 at 3 months (β:0.89, 95%CI:0.81,0.98) and plasma kynurenine at 12 months (β: 0.92, 95%CI:0.87,0.97), and increased plasma IGF-1 at 18 months (β:1.15, 95%CI:1.05,1.25), but these small WASH effects did not translate into improved growth. CONCLUSIONS Overall, we observed dynamic trends in EED but few effects of IYCF or WASH on biomarkers during the first 18 months after birth, suggesting that these interventions did not impact EED. Transformative WASH interventions are required to prevent or ameliorate EED in low-income settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan K. Gough
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Lawrence H. Moulton
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Kuda Mutasa
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Robert Ntozini
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Rebecca J. Stoltzfus
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
| | - Florence D. Majo
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Laura E. Smith
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States of America
| | - Gordana Panic
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Division of Digestive Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Natasa Giallourou
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Division of Digestive Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Jamell
- Pain Care Specialists of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States of America
| | - Peter Kosek
- Pain Care Specialists of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States of America
| | - Jonathan R. Swann
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Division of Digestive Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden
| | - Jean H. Humphrey
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Andrew J. Prendergast
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe
- Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
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8
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Louis-Auguste J, Besa E, Zyambo K, Munkombwe D, Banda R, Banda T, Watson A, Mayneris-Perxachs J, Swann J, Kelly P. Tryptophan, glutamine, leucine, and micronutrient supplementation improves environmental enteropathy in Zambian adults: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2019; 110:1240-1252. [PMID: 31504110 PMCID: PMC6821547 DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqz189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental enteropathy (EE) refers to villus blunting, reduced absorption, and microbial translocation in children and adults in tropical or deprived residential areas. In previous work we observed an effect of micronutrients on villus height (VH). OBJECTIVE We aimed to determine, in a randomized controlled trial, if amino acid (AA) or multiple micronutrient (MM) supplementation can improve intestinal structure or barrier dysfunction in Zambian adults with EE. METHODS AA (tryptophan, leucine, and glutamine) and/or MM supplements were given for 16 wk in a 2 × 2 factorial comparison against placebo. Primary outcomes were changes in VH, in vivo small intestinal barrier dysfunction assessed by confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE), and mechanistic (or mammalian) target of rapamycin complex 1 (MTORC1) nutrient responsiveness in lamina propria CD4+ lymphocytes. RESULTS Over 16 wk AA, but not MM, supplementation increased VH by 16% (34.5 μm) compared with placebo (P = 0.04). Fluorescein leak, measured by CLE, improved only in those allocated to both AA and MM supplementation. No effect was seen on MTORC1 activation, but posttreatment MTORC1 and VH were correlated (ρ = 0.51; P = 0.001), and change in MTORC1 was correlated with change in VH in the placebo group (ρ = 0.63; P = 0.03). In secondary analyses no effect was observed on biomarkers of microbial translocation. Metabolomic analyses suggest alterations in a number of microbial- and host-derived metabolites including the leucine metabolite β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate, which was increased by AA supplementation and correlated with VH. CONCLUSIONS In this phase 2 trial, AA supplementation protected against a decline in VH over the supplementation period, and improved barrier function when combined with micronutrients. Leucine and MTORC1 metabolism may be involved in the mechanism of effect. This trial was registered at www.pactr.org as PACTR201505001104412.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Louis-Auguste
- Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom,Tropical Gastroenterology & Nutrition Group, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Ellen Besa
- Tropical Gastroenterology & Nutrition Group, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Kanekwa Zyambo
- Tropical Gastroenterology & Nutrition Group, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Derick Munkombwe
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Rosemary Banda
- Tropical Gastroenterology & Nutrition Group, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Themba Banda
- Tropical Gastroenterology & Nutrition Group, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia
| | | | - Jordi Mayneris-Perxachs
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Girona Biomedical Research Institute, Dr Josep Trueta University Hospital, Centre for Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN), Girona, Spain,Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain,Division of Integrative Systems Medicine and Digestive Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan Swann
- Division of Integrative Systems Medicine and Digestive Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Kelly
- Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom,Tropical Gastroenterology & Nutrition Group, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia,Address correspondence to PK (e-mail: )
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9
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Lauer JM, McDonald CM, Kisenge R, Aboud S, Fawzi WW, Liu E, Tran HQ, Gewirtz AT, Manji KP, Duggan CP. Markers of Systemic Inflammation and Environmental Enteric Dysfunction Are Not Reduced by Zinc or Multivitamins in Tanzanian Infants: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. J Pediatr 2019; 210:34-40.e1. [PMID: 30952509 PMCID: PMC6590867 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine whether daily zinc and/or multivitamin supplementation reduce biomarkers of environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), systemic inflammation, or markers of growth in a sample of infants from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. STUDY DESIGN Subgroup analysis of infants participating in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial received daily oral supplementation of zinc, multivitamins, zinc + multivitamins, or placebo for 18 months starting at 6 weeks of age. EED (anti-flagellin and anti-lipopolysaccharide immunoglobulins), systemic inflammation (C-reactive protein and alpha-1-acid glycoprotein), and growth biomarkers (insulin-like growth factor-1 and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3) were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in a subsample of 590 infants at 6 weeks and 6 months of age. EED biomarkers also were measured in 162 infants at 12 months of age. RESULTS With the exception of anti-lipopolysaccharide IgG concentrations, which were significantly greater in infants who received multivitamins compared with those who did not (1.41 ± 0.61 vs 1.26 ± 0.65, P = .006), and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 concentrations, which were significantly lower in children who received zinc compared with those who did not (981.13 ± 297.59 vs 1019.10 ± 333.01, P = .03), at 6 months of age, we did not observe any significant treatment effects of zinc or multivitamins on EED, systemic inflammation, or growth biomarkers. CONCLUSIONS Neither zinc nor multivitamin supplementation ameliorated markers of EED or systemic inflammation during infancy. Other interventions should be prioritized for future trials. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00421668.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline M Lauer
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA.
| | | | - Rodrick Kisenge
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Said Aboud
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Wafaie W Fawzi
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Enju Liu
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA; Institutional Centers of Clinical and Translational Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Hao Q Tran
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Andrew T Gewirtz
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Karim P Manji
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Christopher P Duggan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA; Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
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10
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Supplementation With Lactoferrin and Lysozyme Ameliorates Environmental Enteric Dysfunction: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Am J Gastroenterol 2019; 114:671-678. [PMID: 30829679 DOI: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000000170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) predisposes children throughout the developing world to high rates of systemic exposure to enteric pathogens and stunting. Effective interventions that treat or prevent EED may help children achieve their full physical and cognitive potential. The objective of this study is to test whether 2 components of breast milk would improve a biomarker of EED and linear growth during the second year of life. METHODS A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial among children aged 12-23 months was conducted in rural Malawi. The experimental group received a daily supplement of 1.5 g of lactoferrin and 0.2 g of lysozyme for 16 weeks. The primary outcome was an improvement in EED, as measured by the change in the percentage of ingested lactulose excreted into the urine (Δ%L). RESULTS Among 214 children who completed the study, there was a significant difference in Δ%L between the control and experimental groups over 8 weeks (an increase of 0.23% vs 0.14%, respectively; P = 0.04). However, this relative improvement was not as strongly sustained over the full 16 weeks of the study (an increase of 0.16% vs 0.11%, respectively; P = 0.17). No difference in linear growth over this short period was observed. The experimental intervention group had significantly lower rates of hospitalization and the development of acute malnutrition during the course of the study (2.5% vs 10.3%, relative risk 0.25; P < 0.02). DISCUSSION Supplementation with lactoferrin and lysozyme in a population of agrarian children during the second year of life has a beneficial effect on gut health. This intervention also protected against hospitalization and the development of acute malnutrition, a finding with a significant clinical and public health importance. This finding should be pursued in larger studies with longer follow-up and optimized dosing.
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11
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Andrews K, Gonzalez A. Contextual risk factors impacting the colonization and development of the intestinal microbiota: Implications for children in low- and middle-income countries. Dev Psychobiol 2019; 61:714-728. [PMID: 30663777 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 12/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Early adversities, such as poverty, maternal stress, and malnutrition, can affect the structure and functioning of the developing brain with implications for biological systems such as the intestinal microbiota. To date, most studies examining the impact of these risk factors on the development and functioning of the intestinal microbiota have primarily been conducted in high-income countries. However, arguably, children in low- and middle-income countries may be at increased risk given cumulative biological and psychosocial adversities during their development. Accumulating evidence in low- and middle-income countries has linked dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiota to child health outcomes such as stunting, malnutrition, and diarrheal diseases characterized by reduced microbial diversity and elevated pathogenic bacteria, which has implications for psychosocial outcomes. This review summarizes empirical findings that highlight the association between risk factors prevalent in low- and middle-income countries and the intestinal microbiota of children. Additionally, we briefly survey the current evidence regarding the effect of nutritional interventions on the microbial composition of children in low- and middle-income countries. We conclude that these empirical studies have the capacity to inform future research investigating the influence of preventive interventions on biological systems by targeting the predominant risk factors faced by children in low- and middle-income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krysta Andrews
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.,Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrea Gonzalez
- Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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12
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Bartelt LA, Bolick DT, Guerrant RL. Disentangling Microbial Mediators of Malnutrition: Modeling Environmental Enteric Dysfunction. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2019; 7:692-707. [PMID: 30630118 PMCID: PMC6477186 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2018.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) (also referred to as environmental enteropathy) is a subclinical chronic intestinal disorder that is an emerging contributor to early childhood malnutrition. EED is common in resource-limited settings, and is postulated to consist of small intestinal injury, dysfunctional nutrient absorption, and chronic inflammation that results in impaired early child growth attainment. Although there is emerging interest in the hypothetical potential for chemical toxins in the environmental exposome to contribute to EED, the propensity of published data, and hence the focus of this review, implicates a critical role of environmental microbes. Early childhood malnutrition and EED are most prevalent in resource-limited settings where food is limited, and inadequate access to clean water and sanitation results in frequent gastrointestinal pathogen exposures. Even as overt diarrhea rates in these settings decline, silent enteric infections and faltering growth persist. Furthermore, beyond restricted physical growth, EED and/or enteric pathogens also associate with impaired oral vaccine responses, impaired cognitive development, and may even accelerate metabolic syndrome and its cardiovascular consequences. As these potentially costly long-term consequences of early childhood enteric infections increasingly are appreciated, novel therapeutic strategies that reverse damage resulting from nutritional deficiencies and microbial insults in the developing small intestine are needed. Given the inherent limitations in investigating how specific intestinal pathogens directly injure the small intestine in children, animal models provide an affordable and controlled opportunity to elucidate causal sequelae of specific enteric infections, to differentiate consequences of defined nutrient deprivation alone from co-incident enteropathogen insults, and to correlate the resulting gut pathologies with their functional impact during vulnerable early life windows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luther A Bartelt
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
| | - David T Bolick
- Center for Global Health, Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Richard L Guerrant
- Center for Global Health, Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
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13
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Arndt MB, Walson JL. Enteric infection and dysfunction-A new target for PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006906. [PMID: 30592716 PMCID: PMC6310236 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael B. Arndt
- PATH, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Judd L. Walson
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Childhood Acute Illness and Nutrition Network, Nairobi, Kenya
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14
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Harper KM, Mutasa M, Prendergast AJ, Humphrey J, Manges AR. Environmental enteric dysfunction pathways and child stunting: A systematic review. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006205. [PMID: 29351288 PMCID: PMC5792022 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Revised: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) is commonly defined as an acquired subclinical disorder of the small intestine, characterized by villous atrophy and crypt hyperplasia. EED has been proposed to underlie stunted growth among children in developing countries. A collection of biomarkers, organized into distinct domains, has been used to measure different aspects of EED. Here, we examine whether these hypothesized relationships, among EED domains and between each domain and stunting, are supported by data from recent studies. METHODOLOGY A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and CINAHL between January 1, 2010 and April 20, 2017. Information on study objective, design, population, location, biomarkers, and results were recorded, as well as qualitative and quantitative definitions of EED. Biomarkers were organized into five EED domains, and the number of studies that support or do not support relationships among domains and between each domain with stunting were summarized. RESULTS There was little evidence to support the pathway from intestinal permeability to microbial translocation and from microbial translocation to stunting, but stronger support existed for the link between intestinal inflammation and systemic inflammation and for intestinal inflammation and stunting. There was conflicting evidence for the pathways from intestinal damage to intestinal permeability and intestinal damage to stunting. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that certain EED biomarkers may require reconsideration, particularly those most difficult to measure, such as microbial translocation and intestinal permeability. We discuss several issues with currently used biomarkers and recommend further analysis of pathogen-induced changes to the intestinal microbiota as a pathway leading to stunting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn M. Harper
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Maxine Mutasa
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Andrew J. Prendergast
- Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jean Humphrey
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Amee R. Manges
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, Canada
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15
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Cheng WD, Wold KJ, Benzoni NS, Thakwalakwa C, Maleta KM, Manary MJ, Trehan I. Lactoferrin and lysozyme to reduce environmental enteric dysfunction and stunting in Malawian children: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2017; 18:523. [PMID: 29110675 PMCID: PMC5674751 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-017-2278-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Chronic childhood malnutrition, as manifested by stunted linear growth, remains a persistent barrier to optimal child growth and societal development. Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) is a significant underlying factor in the causal pathway to stunting, delayed cognitive development, and ultimately morbidity and mortality. Effective therapies against EED and stunting are lacking and further clinical trials are warranted to effectively identify and operationalize interventions. Methods/design A prospective randomized placebo-controlled parallel-group randomized controlled trial will be conducted to determine if a daily supplement of lactoferrin and lysozyme, two important proteins found in breast milk, can decrease the burden of EED and stunting in rural Malawian children aged 12–23 months old. The intervention and control groups will have a sample size of 86 subjects each. All field and laboratory researchers will be blinded to the assigned intervention group, as will the subjects and their caregivers. The percentage of ingested lactulose excreted in the urine (Δ%L) after 4 h will be used as the biomarker for EED and linear growth as the measure of chronic malnutrition (stunting). The primary outcomes of interest will be change in Δ%L from baseline to 8 weeks and to 16 weeks. Intention-to-treat analyses will be used. Discussion A rigorous clinical trial design will be used to assess the biologically plausible use of lactoferrin and lysozyme as dietary supplements for children at high risk for EED. If proven effective, these safe proteins may serve to markedly reduce the burden of childhood malnutrition and improve survival. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02925026. Registered on 4 October 2016. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-017-2278-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- William D Cheng
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, One Children's Place, Campus Box 8116, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Karl J Wold
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, One Children's Place, Campus Box 8116, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Nicole S Benzoni
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, One Children's Place, Campus Box 8116, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Chrissie Thakwalakwa
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Kenneth M Maleta
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Mark J Manary
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, One Children's Place, Campus Box 8116, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA.,School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.,Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Indi Trehan
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, One Children's Place, Campus Box 8116, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA. .,Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi. .,Lao Friends Hospital for Children, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR.
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16
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Abstract
Purpose of review This review focuses on recent data highlighting the interactions between intestinal pathogens, enteropathy and malnutrition in developing countries, which drive morbidity and mortality and hinder the long-term developmental potential of children. Recent findings Diarrhoea remains the second commonest cause of death in children below 5 years, and malnutrition underlies 45% of all child deaths. Even in the absence of diarrhoea, subclinical pathogen carriage and enteropathy are almost universal in developing countries. Here, we review recent studies addressing the causes and consequences of diarrhoea; emerging data on environmental influences that govern postnatal development of the gut and microbiota; current concepts of environmental enteric dysfunction; and recent intervention trials in the field. We highlight the interactions between these processes, whereby intestinal pathogens drive a cycle of gut damage, malabsorption, chronic inflammation and failed mucosal regeneration, leading to malnutrition and susceptibility to further enteric infections. Summary Efforts to improve child survival and long-term developmental potential need to address the overlapping and interacting effects of diarrhoea, enteropathy and malnutrition. Recent insights from human and animal studies suggest potential targets for intervention.
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Stobaugh HC, Bollinger LB, Adams SE, Crocker AH, Grise JB, Kennedy JA, Thakwalakwa C, Maleta KM, Dietzen DJ, Manary MJ, Trehan I. Effect of a package of health and nutrition services on sustained recovery in children after moderate acute malnutrition and factors related to sustaining recovery: a cluster-randomized trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2017; 106:657-666. [PMID: 28615258 PMCID: PMC6482975 DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.116.149799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Children who recover from moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) have high rates of relapse in the year after nutritional recovery. Interventions to decrease these adverse outcomes are needed to maximize the overall effectiveness of supplemental feeding programs (SFPs).Objective: We evaluated the effectiveness of a package of health and nutrition interventions on improving the proportion of children who sustained recovery for 1 y after MAM treatment. We further explored factors related to sustained recovery.Design: We conducted a cluster-randomized clinical effectiveness trial involving rural Malawian children aged 6-62 mo who were enrolled on discharge from an SFP for MAM. We enrolled 718 children at 10 control sites and 769 children at 11 intervention sites. In addition to routine health and nutrition counseling, the intervention group received a package of health and nutrition interventions that consisted of a lipid nutrient supplement, deworming medication, zinc supplementation, a bed net, and malaria chemoprophylaxis. A survival analysis was used to determine the effectiveness of the intervention as well as to identify factors associated with sustained recovery.Results: Of 1383 children who returned for the full 12-mo follow-up period, 407 children (56%) and 347 children (53%) sustained recovery in the intervention and control groups, respectively. There was no significant difference in relapse-free survival curves between the treatment and control groups (P = 0.380; log-rank test). The risk factors for relapse or death after initial recovery were a smaller midupper arm circumference on SFP admission (P = 0.01) and discharge (P < 0.001), a lower weight-for-height z score on discharge (P < 0.01), and the receipt of ready-to-use supplementary food as opposed to ready-to-use therapeutic food during treatment (P < 0.05).Conclusion: The provision of a package of health and nutrition services in addition to traditional SFP treatment has no significant effect on improving sustained recovery in children after treatment of MAM. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02351687.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather C Stobaugh
- Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | - Lucy B Bollinger
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | - Sara E Adams
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | - Audrey H Crocker
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | - Jennifer B Grise
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | - Julie A Kennedy
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | | | | | - Dennis J Dietzen
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | - Mark J Manary
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine and
- Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX; and
| | - Indi Trehan
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO;
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
- Partners In Health, Harper, Liberia
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18
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Age and Sex Normalization of Intestinal Permeability Measures for the Improved Assessment of Enteropathy in Infancy and Early Childhood: Results From the MAL-ED Study. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2017. [PMID: 28644347 DOI: 10.1097/mpg.0000000000001610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to describe changes in intestinal permeability in early childhood in diverse epidemiologic settings. METHODS In a birth cohort study, the lactulose:mannitol (L:M) test was administered to 1980 children at 4 time points in the first 24 months of life in 8 countries. Data from the Brazil site with an incidence of diarrhea similar to that seen in the United States and no growth faltering was used as an internal study reference to derive age- and sex-specific z scores for mannitol and lactulose recoveries and the L:M ratio. RESULTS A total of 6602 tests demonstrated mannitol recovery, lactulose recovery, and the L:M ratio were associated with country, sex, and age. There was heterogeneity in the recovery of both probes between sites with mean mannitol recovery ranging for 1.34% to 5.88%, lactulose recovery of 0.19% to 0.58%, and L:M ratios 0.10 to 0.17 in boys of 3 months of age across different sites. We observed strong sex-specific differences in both mannitol and lactulose recovery, with boys having higher recovery of both probes. Alterations in intestinal barrier function increased in most sites from 3 to 9 months of age and plateaued or diminished from 9 to 15 months of age. CONCLUSIONS Alterations in recovery of the probes differ markedly in different epidemiologic contexts in children living in the developing world. The rate of change in the L:M-z ratio was most rapid and consistently disparate from the reference standard in the period between 6 and 9 months of age, suggesting that this is a critical period of physiologic impact of enteropathy in these populations.
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Ndounga Diakou LA, Ntoumi F, Ravaud P, Boutron I. Published randomized trials performed in Sub-Saharan Africa focus on high-burden diseases but are frequently funded and led by high-income countries. J Clin Epidemiol 2017; 82:29-36.e6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2016.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2016] [Revised: 10/10/2016] [Accepted: 10/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Wang AZ, Shulman RJ, Crocker AH, Thakwalakwa C, Maleta KM, Devaraj S, Manary MJ, Trehan I. A Combined Intervention of Zinc, Multiple Micronutrients, and Albendazole Does Not Ameliorate Environmental Enteric Dysfunction or Stunting in Rural Malawian Children in a Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial. J Nutr 2017; 147:97-103. [PMID: 27807040 DOI: 10.3945/jn.116.237735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Revised: 08/09/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) and linear growth stunting affect many rural agrarian children in the developing world and contribute to the persistently high rates of stunting that are observed worldwide. Effective interventions to consistently ameliorate EED are lacking. OBJECTIVE We tested whether a bundle of safe and affordable interventions would decrease EED and stunting over 12-24 wk in a cohort of rural Malawian children 12-35 mo old. METHODS This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in which the intervention group received a single dose of albendazole and 14 d of zinc at enrollment and after 20 wk. The intervention group also received a daily multiple micronutrient powder throughout the 24 wk of study. The primary outcomes were improvements in EED, as measured by the urinary lactulose-to-mannitol ratio (L:M ratio) from dual-sugar absorption testing, and linear growth. Urinary L:M ratios and anthropometric measurements were evaluated after 12 and 24 wk of intervention and compared with a placebo group that did not receive any of these interventions. RESULTS A total of 254 children were enrolled at a mean age of 24 mo; 55% were female. Their mean weight-for-age z score was -1.5, and their mean length-for-age z score was -0.9. After 12 and 24 wk of study, increases in the L:M ratio did not differ between the intervention group (0.071 and 0.088 units, respectively) and the placebo group (0.073 and 0.080 units, respectively) (P = 0.87 and 0.19, respectively). Relative changes in length and weight also did not differ significantly between groups at any time point. CONCLUSION The combined usage of albendazole, zinc, and a daily multiple micronutrient powder did not decrease EED or stunting in this population of agrarian children 12-35 mo old in rural Malawi. Alternative interventions to improve these diseases should be investigated. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02253095.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfred Z Wang
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, TX.,Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | - Robert J Shulman
- USDA/Agricultural Research Service Children's Nutrition Research Center, Houston, TX; Departments of.,Pediatrics and
| | - Audrey H Crocker
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | | | | | | | - Mark J Manary
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO; .,USDA/Agricultural Research Service Children's Nutrition Research Center, Houston, TX; Departments of.,School of Public Health and Family Medicine and
| | - Indi Trehan
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO; .,Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
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Environmental Enteric Dysfunction Is Associated With Poor Linear Growth and Can Be Identified by Host Fecal mRNAs. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2016; 63:453-459. [PMID: 27347722 PMCID: PMC5084633 DOI: 10.1097/mpg.0000000000001315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) can be assessed by the lactulose:mannitol (L:M) test. Our objective was to determine if selected host fecal transcripts were correlated with EED, and whether transcripts and clinical characteristics could be used to predict EED in rural African children. METHODS Demographic and sanitation characteristics, along with L:M testing and host fecal transcript analyses from 798 asymptomatic Malawian children aged 12 to 61 months were compared with linear growth over the subsequent 3 months. Fecal host mRNA analysis included quantification of expression of 18 transcripts associated with L:M. Permeability was categorized as normal (L:M ≤ 0.15), moderate (0.15<L:M<0.45) and severe (L:M ≥ 0.45), and random forest predictive models were created. RESULTS L:M was inversely correlated with linear growth over the subsequent 3 months (r = -0.32, P < 0.001) and severe EED was associated with stunting (P < 0.0001). Age younger than 24 months, weight-for-height z score <0, domesticated animals in the child's sleep environment, lack of a pit latrine combined with a potentially contaminated water source, and a recent history of diarrhea were associated with severe EED. A random forest model using CD53, HLA-DRA, MUC12, and TNF was 84% sensitive for severe EED and 83% sensitive for no EED. CONCLUSIONS Selected host fecal transcripts can be used in a random forest model as a noninvasive biomarker for categories of EED in rural African children.
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Trehan I, Kelly P, Shaikh N, Manary MJ. New insights into environmental enteric dysfunction. Arch Dis Child 2016; 101:741-4. [PMID: 26933151 DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2015-309534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) has been recognised as an important contributing factor to physical and cognitive stunting, poor response to oral vaccines, limited resilience to acute infections and ultimately global childhood mortality. The aetiology of EED remains poorly defined but the epidemiology suggests a multifactorial combination of prenatal and early-life undernutrition and repeated infectious and/or toxic environmental insults due to unsanitary and unhygienic environments. Previous attempts at medical interventions to ameliorate EED have been unsatisfying. However, a new generation of imaging and '-omics' technologies hold promise for developing a new understanding of the pathophysiology of EED. A series of trials designed to decrease EED and stunting are taking novel approaches, including improvements in sanitation, hygiene and nutritional interventions. Although many challenges remain in defeating EED, the global child health community must redouble their efforts to reduce EED in order to make substantive improvements in morbidity and mortality worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indi Trehan
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Paul Kelly
- Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK TROPGAN Group, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Nurmohammad Shaikh
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Mark J Manary
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA Department of Community Health, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA
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Stauber J, Shaikh N, Ordiz MI, Tarr PI, Manary MJ. Droplet digital PCR quantifies host inflammatory transcripts in feces reliably and reproducibly. Cell Immunol 2016; 303:43-9. [PMID: 27063479 PMCID: PMC4863679 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2016.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Revised: 03/16/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Direct measurement of gut epithelial immunology is difficult. Fecal host transcript can measured using conservative transcript isolation and droplet digital PCR. A new method to non-invasively elucidate gut immunology is described.
The gut is the most extensive, interactive, and complex interface between the human host and the environment and therefore a critical site of immunological activity. Non-invasive methods to assess the host response in this organ are currently lacking. Feces are the available analyte which have been in proximity to the gut tissue. We applied a method of concentrating host transcripts from fecal specimens using a existing bead-based affinity separation method for nucleic acids and quantified transcripts using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to determine the copy numbers of a variety of key transcripts in the gut immune system. ddPCR compartmentalizes the reaction in a small aqueous droplet suspended in oil, and counts droplets as either fluorescent or non-fluorescent. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) was used to normalize transcript concentration. This method was applied to 799 fecal samples from rural Malawian children, and over 20,000 transcript concentrations were quantified. Host mRNA was detected in >99% samples, a threshold for target detection was established at an average expression of 0.02 copies target/GAPDH, above which correlation coefficient between duplicate measurements is >0.95. Quantities of transcript detected using ddPCR were greater than standard qPCR. Fecal sample preservation at the time of collection did not require immediate freezing or the addition of buffers or enzymes. Measurements of transcripts encoding immunoactive proteins correlated with a measure of gut inflammation in the study children, thereby substantiating their relevance. This method allows investigators to interrogate gene expression in the gut.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Stauber
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States
| | - Nurmohammad Shaikh
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States
| | - M Isabel Ordiz
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States
| | - Phillip I Tarr
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States
| | - Mark J Manary
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States.
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Yu J, Ordiz MI, Stauber J, Shaikh N, Trehan I, Barnell E, Head RD, Maleta K, Tarr PI, Manary MJ. Environmental Enteric Dysfunction Includes a Broad Spectrum of Inflammatory Responses and Epithelial Repair Processes. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2015; 2:158-174.e1. [PMID: 26973864 PMCID: PMC4769221 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2015.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 12/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), a chronic diffuse inflammation of the small intestine, is associated with stunting in children in the developing world. The pathobiology of EED is poorly understood because of the lack of a method to elucidate the host response. This study tested a novel microarray method to overcome limitation of RNA sequencing to interrogate the host transcriptome in feces in Malawian children with EED. METHODS In 259 children, EED was measured by lactulose permeability (%L). After isolating low copy numbers of host messenger RNA, the transcriptome was reliably and reproducibly profiled, validated by polymerase chain reaction. Messenger RNA copy number then was correlated with %L and differential expression in EED. The transcripts identified were mapped to biological pathways and processes. The children studied had a range of %L values, consistent with a spectrum of EED from none to severe. RESULTS We identified 12 transcripts associated with the severity of EED, including chemokines that stimulate T-cell proliferation, Fc fragments of multiple immunoglobulin families, interferon-induced proteins, activators of neutrophils and B cells, and mediators that dampen cellular responses to hormones. EED-associated transcripts mapped to pathways related to cell adhesion, and responses to a broad spectrum of viral, bacterial, and parasitic microbes. Several mucins, regulatory factors, and protein kinases associated with the maintenance of the mucous layer were expressed less in children with EED than in normal children. CONCLUSIONS EED represents the activation of diverse elements of the immune system and is associated with widespread intestinal barrier disruption. Differentially expressed transcripts, appropriately enumerated, should be explored as potential biomarkers.
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Key Words
- %L, lactulose permeability
- EED, environmental enteric dysfunction
- Environmental Enteropathy
- FARMS, factor analyses for robust microarray summarization
- Fecal Transcriptome
- G-CSF, granulocyte colony–stimulating factor
- HAZ, height-for-age z score
- IRON, iterative rank order normalization
- Intestinal Inflammation
- KEGG, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes
- RMA, robust multi-array average
- Stunting
- dHAZ, change in height-for-age z score
- mRNA, messenger RNA
- qPCR, quantitative polymerase chain reaction
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinsheng Yu
- Genome Technology Access Center, Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - M. Isabel Ordiz
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Jennifer Stauber
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Nurmohammad Shaikh
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Indi Trehan
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Erica Barnell
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Richard D. Head
- Genome Technology Access Center, Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Ken Maleta
- Department of Community Health, College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Phillip I. Tarr
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Mark J. Manary
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri,Department of Community Health, College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi,Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas,Correspondence Address correspondence to: Mark J. Manary, MD, Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, One Children's Place, St. Louis Children's Hospital St. Louis, Missouri 63110. fax: (314) 454-4345.Department of PediatricsWashington University School of MedicineSt. LouisMissouri 63110
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Common beans and cowpeas as complementary foods to reduce environmental enteric dysfunction and stunting in Malawian children: study protocol for two randomized controlled trials. Trials 2015; 16:520. [PMID: 26578308 PMCID: PMC4650393 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-015-1027-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 10/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Interventions to decrease the burden of childhood malnutrition are urgently needed, as millions of children die annually owing to undernutrition and hundreds of millions more are left cognitively and physically stunted. Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), a pervasive chronic subclinical inflammatory condition among children that develops when complementary foods are introduced, places them at high risk of stunting, malabsorption, and poor oral vaccine efficacy. Improved interventions to reduce the burden of EED and stunting are expected to markedly improve the nutritional status and survival of children throughout resource-limited settings. Methods/Design We will conduct, in parallel, two prospective randomized controlled clinical trials to determine whether common beans or cowpeas improve growth, ameliorate EED, and alter the intestinal microbiome during a high-risk period in the lives of rural Malawian children. Study 1 will enroll children at 6 months of age and randomize them to receive common beans, cowpeas, or a standard complementary food for 6 months. Anthropometry will be compared among the three groups; EED will be assessed using a dual-sugar absorption test and by quantifying human intestinal mRNA for inflammatory messages; and the intestinal microbiota will be characterized by deep sequencing of fecal DNA, to enumerate host microbial populations and their metabolic capacity. Study 2 will enroll children 12–23 months old and follow them for 12 months, with similar interventions and assessments as Study 1. Discussion By amalgamating the power of rigorous clinical trials and advanced biological analysis, we aim to elucidate the potential of two grain legumes to reduce stunting and EED in a high-risk population. Legumes have potential as an affordable and effective complementary food intervention, given their cultural acceptability, nutritional content, and agricultural feasibility in sub-Saharan Africa. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02472262 and NCT02472301.
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26
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Mbuya MNN, Humphrey JH. Preventing environmental enteric dysfunction through improved water, sanitation and hygiene: an opportunity for stunting reduction in developing countries. MATERNAL AND CHILD NUTRITION 2015; 12 Suppl 1:106-20. [PMID: 26542185 PMCID: PMC5019251 DOI: 10.1111/mcn.12220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2015] [Revised: 07/27/2015] [Accepted: 08/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In 2011, one in every four (26%) children under 5 years of age worldwide was stunted. The realization that most stunting cannot be explained by poor diet or by diarrhoea, nor completely reversed by optimized diet and reduced diarrhoea has led to the hypothesis that a primary underlying cause of stunting is subclinical gut disease. Essentially, ingested microbes set in motion two overlapping and interacting pathways that result in linear growth impairment. Firstly, partial villous atrophy results in a reduced absorptive surface area and loss of digestive enzymes. This in turn results in maldigestion and malabsorption of much needed nutrients. Secondly, microbes and their products make the gut leaky, allowing luminal contents to translocate into systemic circulation. This creates a condition of chronic immune activation, which (i) diverts nutrient resources towards the metabolically expensive business of infection fighting rather than growth; (ii) suppresses the growth hormone‐IGF axis and inhibits bone growth, leading to growth impairment; and (iii) causes further damage to the intestinal mucosa thereby exacerbating the problem. As such, the unhygienic environments in which infants and young children live and grow must contribute to, if not be the overriding cause of, this environmental enteric dysfunction. We suggest that a package of baby‐WASH interventions (sanitation and water improvement, handwashing with soap, ensuring a clean play and infant feeding environment and food hygiene) that interrupt specific pathways through which feco‐oral transmission occurs in the first two years of a child's life may be central to global stunting reduction efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mduduzi N N Mbuya
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe.,Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Jean H Humphrey
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe.,Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
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27
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) refers to an incompletely defined syndrome of inflammation, reduced absorptive capacity, and reduced barrier function in the small intestine. It is widespread among children and adults in low- and middle-income countries. Understanding of EED and its possible consequences for health is currently limited. OBJECTIVE A narrative review of the current understanding of EED: epidemiology, pathogenesis, therapies, and relevance to child health. METHODS Searches for key papers and ongoing trials were conducted using PUBMED 1966-June 2014; ClinicalTrials.gov; the WHO Clinical Trials Registry; the Cochrane Library; hand searches of the references of retrieved literature; discussions with experts; and personal experience from the field. RESULTS EED is established during infancy and is associated with poor sanitation, certain gut infections, and micronutrient deficiencies. Helicobacter pylori infection, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), abnormal gut microbiota, undernutrition, and toxins may all play a role. EED is usually asymptomatic, but it is important due to its association with stunting. Diagnosis is frequently by the dual sugar absorption test, although other biomarkers are emerging. EED may partly explain the reduced efficacy of oral vaccines in low- and middle-income countries and the increased risk of serious infection seen in children with undernutrition. CONCLUSIONS Despite its potentially significant impacts, it is currently unclear exactly what causes EED and how it can be treated or prevented. Ongoing trials involve nutritional supplements, water and sanitation interventions, and immunomodulators. Further research is needed to better understand this condition, which is of likely crucial importance for child health and development in low- and middle-income settings.
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George CM, Oldja L, Biswas S, Perin J, Lee GO, Kosek M, Sack RB, Ahmed S, Haque R, Parvin T, Azmi IJ, Bhuyian SI, Talukder KA, Mohammad S, Faruque AG. Geophagy is associated with environmental enteropathy and stunting in children in rural Bangladesh. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2015; 92:1117-24. [PMID: 25918214 PMCID: PMC4458812 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.14-0672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2014] [Accepted: 03/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a growing body of literature indicating an association between stunting and environmental enteropathy (EE), a disorder thought to be caused by repeated exposures to enteric pathogens. To investigate the relationship between exposure to enteric pathogens through geophagy, consumption of soil, EE, and stunting, we conducted a prospective cohort study of 216 children under 5 years of age in rural Bangladesh. Geophagy was assessed at baseline using 5 hour structured observation and caregiver reports. Stool was analyzed for fecal markers of intestinal inflammation: alpha-1-antitrypsin, myeloperoxidase, neopterin (all three combined to form an EE disease activity score), and calprotectin. Eighteen percent of children had observed geophagy events by structured observation and 28% had caregiver reported events in the past week. Nearly all households had Escherichia coli (97%) in soil, and 14% had diarrheagenic E. coli. Children with caregiver-reported geophagy had significantly higher EE scores (0.72 point difference, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.01, 1.42) and calprotectin concentrations (237.38 μg/g, 95% CI: 12.77, 462.00). Furthermore, at the 9-month follow-up the odds of being stunted (height-for-age z-score < -2) was double for children with caregiver-reported geophagy (odds ratio [OR]: 2.27, 95% CI: 1.14, 4.51). These findings suggest that geophagy in young children may be an important unrecognized risk factor for EE and stunting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Marie George
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Lauren Oldja
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Shwapon Biswas
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Jamie Perin
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Gwenyth O Lee
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Margaret Kosek
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - R Bradley Sack
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Shahnawaz Ahmed
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Rashidul Haque
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Tahmina Parvin
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Ishrat J Azmi
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Sazzadul Islam Bhuyian
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Kaisar A Talukder
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Shahnaij Mohammad
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Abu G Faruque
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
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Smith HE, Ryan KN, Stephenson KB, Westcott C, Thakwalakwa C, Maleta K, Cheng JY, Brenna JT, Shulman RJ, Trehan I, Manary MJ. Multiple micronutrient supplementation transiently ameliorates environmental enteropathy in Malawian children aged 12-35 months in a randomized controlled clinical trial. J Nutr 2014; 144:2059-65. [PMID: 25411039 DOI: 10.3945/jn.114.201673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental enteropathy (EE) is subclinical, diffuse villous atrophy characterized by T cell infiltration of the small intestinal mucosa associated with nutrient malabsorption and stunting. EE is assessed by the lactulose:mannitol (L:M) test, whereby nonmetabolized sugars are ingested and quantified in the urine. Multiple micronutrient (MN) deficiency morphologically mimics EE, and ω-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids reduce mucosal inflammation in Crohn disease. OBJECTIVE We tested the hypothesis that supplementary MNs, with or without fish oil (FO), would improve L:M in rural Malawian children aged 1-3 y compared with a control (C) group receiving a placebo. METHODS The MNs and FO provided the Recommended Dietary Intake for 26 vitamins, minerals, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid. This was a 3-arm, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, with the primary outcomes being the change in L:M (ΔL:M) after 12 and 24 wk of supplementation. Comparisons were made for ΔL:M after 12 and 24 wk within each group by using a Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank test, because the data are not normally distributed. RESULTS A total of 230 children had specimens adequate for analysis; all had an abnormal baseline L:M, defined as >0.10. After 12 wk, children who received MNs + FO had a ΔL:M [mean (95% CI)] of -0.10 (-0.04, -0.15; P = 0.001), and children receiving only MNs had ΔL:M of -0.12 (-0.03, -0.21; P = 0.002). After 24 wk, children who received MNs + FO had a ΔL:M of -0.09 (-0.03, -0.15; P = 0.001); children receiving only MNs had a ΔL:M of -0.11 (-0.02, -0.20; P = 0.001), and the C group had ΔL:M of -0.07 (0.02, -0.16); P = 0.002). Linear growth was similar in all groups, ∼4.3 cm over 24 wk. CONCLUSION Although the effect was modest, these data suggest MNs can transiently ameliorate EE in rural African children. The trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01593033.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah E Smith
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
| | - Kelsey N Ryan
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
| | | | - Claire Westcott
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
| | | | - Ken Maleta
- College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | | | - J Thomas Brenna
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY; and
| | - Robert J Shulman
- Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Indi Trehan
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO; College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Mark J Manary
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO; College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi; Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
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Burr SE, Hart J, Edwards T, Harding-Esch EM, Holland MJ, Mabey DCW, Sillah A, Bailey RL. Anthropometric indices of Gambian children after one or three annual rounds of mass drug administration with azithromycin for trachoma control. BMC Public Health 2014; 14:1176. [PMID: 25407464 PMCID: PMC4251859 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-1176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Accepted: 10/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mass drug administration (MDA) with azithromycin, carried out for the control of blinding trachoma, has been linked to reduced mortality in children. While the mechanism behind this reduction is unclear, it may be due, in part, to improved nutritional status via a potential reduction in the community burden of infectious disease. To determine whether MDA with azithromycin improves anthropometric indices at the community level, we measured the heights and weights of children aged 1 to 4 years in communities where one (single MDA arm) or three annual rounds (annual MDA arm) of azithromycin had been distributed. Methods Data collection took place three years after treatment in the single MDA arm and one year after the final round of treatment in the annual MDA arm. Mean height-for-age, weight-for-age and weight-for-height z scores were compared between treatment arms. Results No significant differences in mean height-for-age, weight-for-age or weight-for-height z scores were found between the annual MDA and single MDA arms, nor was there a significant reduction in prevalence of stunting, wasting or underweight between arms. Conclusions Our data do not provide evidence that community MDA with azithromycin improved anthropometric outcomes of children in The Gambia. This may suggest reductions in mortality associated with azithromycin MDA are due to a mechanism other than improved nutritional status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Burr
- Department of Clinical Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
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31
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Jones KDJ, Hünten-Kirsch B, Laving AMR, Munyi CW, Ngari M, Mikusa J, Mulongo MM, Odera D, Nassir HS, Timbwa M, Owino M, Fegan G, Murch SH, Sullivan PB, Warner JO, Berkley JA. Mesalazine in the initial management of severely acutely malnourished children with environmental enteric dysfunction: a pilot randomized controlled trial. BMC Med 2014; 12:133. [PMID: 25189855 PMCID: PMC4243388 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-014-0133-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2014] [Accepted: 07/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) is an acquired syndrome of impaired gastrointestinal mucosal barrier function that is thought to play a key role in the pathogenesis of stunting in early life. It has been conceptualized as an adaptive response to excess environmental pathogen exposure. However, it is clinically similar to other inflammatory enteropathies, which result from both host and environmental triggers, and for which immunomodulation is a cornerstone of therapy. METHODS In this pilot double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial, 44 children with severe acute malnutrition and evidence of EED were assigned to treatment with mesalazine or placebo for 28 days during nutritional rehabilitation. Primary outcomes were safety and acceptability of the intervention. RESULTS Treatment with mesalazine was safe: there was no excess of adverse events, evidence of deterioration in intestinal barrier integrity or impact on nutritional recovery. There were modest reductions in several inflammatory markers with mesalazine compared to placebo. Depression of the growth hormone--insulin-like growth factor-1 axis was evident at enrollment and associated with inflammatory activation. Increases in the former and decreases in the latter correlated with linear growth. CONCLUSIONS Intestinal inflammation in EED is non-essential for mucosal homeostasis and is at least partly maladaptive. Further trials of gut-specific immunomodulatory therapies targeting host inflammatory activation in order to optimize the growth benefits of nutritional rehabilitation and to address stunting are warranted. Funded by The Wellcome Trust. TRIAL REGISTRATION Registered at Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01841099.
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32
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Abstract
Linear growth failure is the most common form of undernutrition globally. With an estimated 165 million children below 5 years of age affected, stunting has been identified as a major public health priority, and there are ambitious targets to reduce the prevalence of stunting by 40% between 2010 and 2025. We view this condition as a 'stunting syndrome' in which multiple pathological changes marked by linear growth retardation in early life are associated with increased morbidity and mortality, reduced physical, neurodevelopmental and economic capacity and an elevated risk of metabolic disease into adulthood. Stunting is a cyclical process because women who were themselves stunted in childhood tend to have stunted offspring, creating an intergenerational cycle of poverty and reduced human capital that is difficult to break. In this review, the mechanisms underlying linear growth failure at different ages are described, the short-, medium- and long-term consequences of stunting are discussed, and the evidence for windows of opportunity during the life cycle to target interventions at the stunting syndrome are evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Prendergast
- Centre for Paediatrics, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, UK,Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe,Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jean H Humphrey
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe,Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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